How Sasol Reduced Java Costs by 92% While Strengthening Security and Compliance
For global enterprises, Java is both a critical asset and an increasingly complex liability because of Oracle’s license model, which is decoupled from actual usage, and audit requirements, which can tie up key personnel for weeks if not months.
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For global enterprises, Java is both a critical asset and an increasingly complex liability because of Oracle’s license model, which is decoupled from actual usage, and audit requirements, which can tie up key personnel for weeks if not months.
Few organizations illustrate this tension better than Sasol, a $14B global energy and chemicals leader based in South Africa running more than 150 business-critical Java applications across thousands of systems.
Faced with rising costs, security risks, and compliance challenges tied to its Java environment, Sasol made a bold move: it re-platformed from Oracle Java to Azul. The results were transformative.
The Challenge: Cost, Risk, and Complexity at Scale
Like many large enterprises, Sasol had built its IT operations around Java over decades. That scale brought power, but also exposure.
Three issues were becoming increasingly urgent:
Escalating and Unpredictable Costs – Oracle’s evolving Java licensing model introduced significant financial risk, with costs rising sharply and unpredictably.
Security Vulnerabilities – Critical applications were running on older Java versions (including Java 6 and 7) that no longer received regular security updates, creating growing exposure to cyber threats.
Compliance and Audit Risk – Complex licensing terms and audit exposure created legal and financial risk, particularly in Sasol’s highly regulated environment. For a company where IT reliability directly impacts operations, safety, and regulatory compliance, these weren’t just technical issues, they were business risks.
The Solution: Standardizing on Azul Core
Sasol needed a way to modernize its Java estate without disrupting operations. After a rigorous evaluation and proof-of-value process, the company selected Azul Core as its enterprise Java standard.
Key reasons included:
Full Java compatibility across legacy and modern applications
Long-term support for older Java versions no longer covered by Oracle
Predictable, transparent licensing
Enterprise-grade security updates and support
Working alongside its IT partner Optim-G, Sasol executed a phased migration across its entire Java estate.
The Migration: Fast, Scalable, and Zero Disruption
The scale of Sasol’s transformation was significant:
150+ applications migrated
7,000 devices and 200 servers updated
Completed in ~5 months (April–September 2025)
Zero disruption to business operations
A two-month proof-of-value validated the approach up front, ensuring confidence before full rollout. This combination of preparation, partnership, and platform support enabled a seamless transition, even at enterprise scale.
The Results: 92% Cost Reduction – And More
A 92% reduction in Java licensing costs is amazing, but the real story goes deeper.
Financial Impact
Eliminated costly Oracle licensing overhead
Simplified compliance and reduced audit exposure
Security & Compliance
Restored security patching for legacy Java versions
Reduced vulnerability exposure
Strengthened regulatory compliance posture
Operational Resilience
Maintained full continuity during migration
Standardized runtime across the enterprise
Reduced risk of outages and disruptions
Strategic Flexibility
Future-proofed the Java environment
Enabled ongoing digital transformation initiatives
As Sasol’s IT leadership put it: “Azul enabled us to take control of and future-proof our Java environment, reducing costs by 92% while improving security and compliance.”
Why This Matters for Enterprise Java Teams
Sasol’s story is not an outlier, it’s a signal of what’s happening across industries. Enterprises worldwide are re-evaluating their Java strategy in response to:
Rising Oracle Java licensing costs
Growing security risks in legacy environments
The flexibility and control offered by open-source solution versus vendor lock-in.
Sasol demonstrates that it’s possible to address all of these challenges simultaneously without disruption.
Key Takeaways: A Blueprint for Migration Success
For organizations facing similar pressures, Sasol’s approach provides a clear blueprint:
Start with a proof-of-value to validate feasibility
Prioritize compatibility to avoid application rewrites
Address security and compliance together, not separately
Partner with experienced vendors and migration specialists
Standardize for long-term simplicity and control
Bottom Line
Sasol didn’t just reduce costs, they regained control. By moving to Azul, the company transformed Java from a source of risk and uncertainty into a stable, secure, and cost-effective foundation for innovation. In today’s enterprise landscape, that kind of control isn’t just valuable, it’s essential.
The post How Sasol Reduced Java Costs by 92% While Strengthening Security and Compliance appeared first on Azul | Better Java Performance, Superior Java Support.
*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Security Blog Posts – Azul authored by Azul. Read the original post at: https://www.azul.com/blog/how-sasol-reduced-java-costs-by-92-while-strengthening-security-and-compliance/
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